Favorite Sports Traditions

[PeytonManningRocks]

The Best:

Take me out to the ballgame

Lambeau Leap

White-Out (Winnipeg/Phoenix)

Stanley Cup playoff handshake

Cutting down the nets (NCAA Tournament)

The Worst:

Super Bowl halftime show

White-Out (anywhere else)

Throwing an opponent's home run back at Wrigley

[pcgd]

Dislikes: The practice of throwing opposing team's home run balls back onto the field at Citizens Bank Park. It was a tradition blaitantly stolen from the Cubs, and I've seen threats of violence against otherwise unwilling participants. Truley an embarassment.

They do the same at Busch sometimes, and I hate it as well.

I love it at Wrigley. However I hate that most fans bring an extra ball and throw back the fake one. That's why when they get hit out on the street you'll see 5 come out of the stands. It was cool but along with a bunch of other stuff, it was ruined by bandwagon fans.

Another Wrigley tradition I like: Different celeb singing the 7th inning stretch. Cool Tribute to Harry Carey. Not a fan that many fans claim that they started it when in reality, it was Harry Carey but he started it at Comiskey on the South Side and originally refused to sing along.

[BBTV]

Dislikes:

The singing of the national anthem before games. I just don't understand what the point of it is.

[fiasco!]

Dislikes:

The singing of the national anthem before games. I just don't understand what the point of it is.

I am in complete agreement with this. I can't stand it.

[budbowl77]

The greatest Sports tradition:

During the Army/Navy game the marching on the field of the Midshipmen and Cadets. How after the game both teams stand at attention during the playing of both teams alma matter...

[budbowl77]

Dislikes:

The singing of the national anthem before games. I just don't understand what the point of it is.

I am in complete agreement with this. I can't stand it.

Judging by signature..i think i see why...

[The Nation]

Dislike: Playoff Campaigns. If you need a campaign to get fans to go to a playoff game, then you might as well move the team.

[oddball]

Likes:

1. Army-Navy game. They may not be NFL caliber, but it's the best rivalry because these are real men who will go on to protect us so that we can have our likes and dislikes about sports.

2. Handshakes after each Stanley Cup Series.

3. The first burnout you see at an NHRA event. Also when going to a race, the first engine you hear fire up.

Dislikes:

1. The aforementioned cliche of throwing the baseball back onto the field. Get over it. Though I did like a couple weeks ago, a guy at Wrigley threw an old beat up ball and kept the home run ball!

2. Rushing of the court/field. Oh congratulations you beat someone... finally. It tends to happen with lower ranked teams and it's win #3 for the year. What gets really annoying is when it's an established winning program. I like the phrase that some coach said about scoring a touchdown, "Act like you've been there before." The greatest thing was watching LSU beat Kentucky in football when their fans had rushed the field. Classic to see all those morons look... well, like morons!

3. Over regulation of endzone celebrations.

4. Too many college Bowl games.

5. Anybody but the Captain skating around the ice with the Stanley Cup.

6. Take me out to the ballgame, especially the joke that is Wrigley Field. Please stop.

7. East Coast bias, and the thinking that everyone in the nation wants to watch the Red Sox, Yankees, Giants, Jets, or Knicks. We just don't care about them.

[HedleyLamarr]

Dislikes --

1. Yelling out words during the National Anthem -- As nice as it is to have a unique local touch, it annoys me to hear Baltimore fans yell "O" during the National Anthem. I always feel like I'm just about the only person not doing it. If memory serves me, don't Braves fan also yell "Braves"?

The only thing I've heard at Turner Field at the end of the anthem is cheers, not "Braves". However, some Thrashers fans shout "Knight" when night is sung during the anthem, just as Orioles fans shout "O" and Stars fans shout "Star", amongst other fans shouting other words that are part of the anthem. It doesn't bother me, I'd rather them pay attention (somewhat) to the anthem and shout that one word in the anthem than pick their nose or scratch their ass or shout random things.

My favorite local tradition is the solo trumpeteer at Sanford Stadium playing the Battle Hymn before every Georgia home game.

[Geoff]

5. Anybody but the Captain skating around the ice with the Stanley Cup.

Cause obviously the captain was the only one playing all 6 positions for 82 games and the playoffs.

[winghaz]

There are so many traditions I like, or even love, that I wouldn't dare put them down here.

But I do have a dislike that I must write about. It's the fancy intros at pro basketball games (sometimes college and high school, too) where they turn off the lights and then use strobe lights and other things like that. It's terribly hard on the eyes. I have a problem with excessive blinking lights, and it's very miserable. And I was thinking, those kinds of shows could also cause epileptics to have seizures. It's just a bad thing all around, and people who put those shows on aren't thinking about how they can be problems for some people.

[mydogisgomez]

I hate the freakin' wave. For people who are not the least bit interested in the game. I too hate the smoke and strobe, lights down entrances by teams.

[oddball]

5. Anybody but the Captain skating around the ice with the Stanley Cup.

Cause obviously the captain was the only one playing all 6 positions for 82 games and the playoffs.

Up until recently it was tradition that only the captain would touch the Stanley Cup and skate it around. No one was allowed to touch it until it got to the locker room. It's like the tradition of not touching the Stanley Cup before you win it or the Conference trophies.

[Viper]

Up until recently it was tradition that only the captain would touch the Stanley Cup and skate it around. No one was allowed to touch it until it got to the locker room. It's like the tradition of not touching the Stanley Cup before you win it or the Conference trophies.

Indeed, the NFL has followed the NHL's lead in recent years and now does their Lombardi Trophy presentation on the field instead of the locker room. (Not sure about the NFL or NBA off-hand.) Those trophies have become so iconic in their own right that I can't blame either league for wanting to give them as much live, public exposure as they can.

Dislike:

All other "non-Terrible" towels. Most of the time teams hand out white towels to be waved. This never made any sense to me, isn't waving a white flag the same as saying, "we surrender"?

I don't know... if you combine white towels with a "white-out" that would be a cool effect. And don't forget the enduring popularity of the Minnesota Twins' (white) Homer Hankies.

Anyway, here are my lists. Me likee:

• Lambeau Leap
  
• Colts kickoff team's little "dance" just before kicking off (they did this a few times during their Super Bowl season; haven't seen them do it since)
  
• Postgame handshake lines in hockey (often done after every game in HS and college, and of course at the end of each Cup playoff series) and NLL lacrosse (also an every-game thing)
  
• Pretty much all the traditions related to the Stanley Cup
  
• Pretty much all the traditions related to the Army-Navy Game (although I wouldn't mind seeing them spread the game around to cities other than Philadelphia more often)
  
• Putting the "hat" in "hat trick" (i.e. throwing your hat onto the ice after a player's third goal)
  
• The St. Paul Saints' (indie minor-league baseball) wacky, politically incorrect game presentation gimmicks and promotions (e.g. one of their 2008 mascots was a live pig they named Boarack Ohama; and then of course there was the infamous Larry Craig "bobble-foot" doll)
  
• The Minnesota Swarm's wacky, often politically incorrect game presentation gimmicks and promotions (don't know whether they're taking a cue from the Saints, or if this is just par for the course in the NLL)
  
• Crowd singing (but not banging drums, tooting horns, etc., thank you very much) during soccer matches (think Liverpool's "You'll Never Walk Alone")
  
• Climbing the stadium stairs to receive your trophy (also peculiar to European soccer)
  
• Last, but not least, one tradition that no longer exists that I miss, even though it was done by a team I once hated: Wayne Messmer singing the National Anthem at Chicago Stadium before Blackhawks games.
  

Me no likee:

• Rushing the field/court, as others have already said (and I've never understood why this isn't tolerated at the HS or pro levels, but is at the college level)
  
• Throwing back visiting teams' home run balls (though I might have made an exception for Barry Bonds)
  
• The Wave (I go to sporting events to sit and watch the game, and the Wave is basically a giant, moving total view obstruction)
  
• Continuing to use "Rock & Roll Part II" as in-stadium music
  
• Throwing octopi onto the ice at Red Wings playoff games (actually it's not the tradition itself I dislike, so much as the fact that it gets special treatment from the NHL, which apparently doesn't tolerate this sort of thing any more with other teams)
  

[averyj]

Dislikes:

The singing of the national anthem before games. I just don't understand what the point of it is.

I am in complete agreement with this. I can't stand it.

Judging by signature..i think i see why...

Please shut up.

[infrared41]

Dislikes:

The singing of the national anthem before games. I just don't understand what the point of it is.

I am in complete agreement with this. I can't stand it.

Judging by signature..i think i see why...

Oh I get it. He's an Obama supporter so he must hate America. Damn, I wish I were capable of that type of analysis.

Nice cheap shot.

[LC]

Dislikes:

The singing of the national anthem before games. I just don't understand what the point of it is.

I am in complete agreement with this. I can't stand it.

Judging by signature..i think i see why...

Oh I get it. He's an Obama supporter so he must hate America. Damn, I wish I were capable of that type of analysis.

Nice cheap shot.

Or, even though it was sarcastic to begin with, he could just be referring to the fact that the man tends to disrespect our national anthem...

[BBTV]

Dislikes:

The singing of the national anthem before games. I just don't understand what the point of it is.

I am in complete agreement with this. I can't stand it.

Judging by signature..i think i see why...

Oh I get it. He's an Obama supporter so he must hate America. Damn, I wish I were capable of that type of analysis.

Nice cheap shot.

Or, even though it was sarcastic to begin with, he could just be referring to the fact that the man tends to disrespect our national anthem...

How does covering one's heart with one's hand constitute "respect"?

[OnWis97]

Like:

-Olympic opening/closing ceremonies

-Skating with the Cup

-post-series handshakes (I can't believe I shook that guy's friggin hand)

-All-Star game intros of all players

-The Texas A&M "12th Man"

-Selection Sunday

-New Years Day bowls (though they are watering it down for TV).

Dislike

-pregame prayers to the Lord at public schools (only been to one game in the South, U of TN, and they did it. Misc religions need not apply)

-Throwing squid on the ice.

-National Anthem before games. It's lost any meaning. Do it for every teams first home game and the first game of a playoff series.

-Rally caps and rally monkeys.

-The Lambeau Leap (but I would probably be indifferent if not a Viking fan)

-That stupid little music played at Lambeau before "Go Pack Go".

-My own alma matter's "5th Quarter", where the band plays after the game. Particularly bothers me after a loss.

-Mascot stealing (I think it just happened)

-Throwing HR balls back.

-Retiring numbers of non players (Wild #1 for the fans, Seahawks #12 for the fans as 12th man).

[LC]

Dislikes:

The singing of the national anthem before games. I just don't understand what the point of it is.

I am in complete agreement with this. I can't stand it.

Judging by signature..i think i see why...

Oh I get it. He's an Obama supporter so he must hate America. Damn, I wish I were capable of that type of analysis.

Nice cheap shot.

Or, even though it was sarcastic to begin with, he could just be referring to the fact that the man tends to disrespect our national anthem...

How does covering one's heart with one's hand constitute "respect"?

You know, I guess it officially doesn't. But to me, and I'm sure many others, it is a respectful move in that situation. I mean, how hard would it have been? The man's running for president. You gotta take the little things like that into account.

But anyway, this isn't what this thread is about. Back to Sports Traditions.

100th post.